A Nottingham family business has opened a new £55m factory in the United States – and now the hope is that it could bring some of that success back home.

Purico, which has its head office in Huntingdon Street, has unveiled its new 208,000 sq ft plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama - which will be run by new subsidiary Bolta US.

The Mercedes’ iconic three-pointed star emblem will be one of the chrome-plated car parts manufactured in the factory, which could employ up to 320 staff by the end of next year.

The Mercedes-Benz emblem is made at Purico's new Bolta-US factory in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Chairman Anil Puri has said it is his 'dream' to build a factory in his home town.

And business leaders are keen for him to help create jobs back in Nottingham.

Andy Hibberd, spokesman at East Midlands Chamber, said that funding is available in the right places, and there is plenty of room to set up a factory in the city.

He said: “If his dream is to set up in Nottingham he should do so. Corporation tax is planned to be cut along with another look into how business rates are set. There is plenty of funding available for businesses – the help is there.

Read More

“Obviously it is cheaper to set up a business abroad, but he should realise his dream and come to Nottingham. There are areas outside of Nottingham city which are cheaper; we have numerous enterprise zones all of whom back businesses.

“Ultimately you are in business to make money and you will create a new factory where it is cost-effective to do so.

“My message would be bring it to Nottingham; there is money available here and plenty of spaces to build factories on.”

Read More

“His heart is in the best place, he is supportive of Nottingham and going forward if he was to go for a project in Nottingham we would be keen to help if it were to arise.”

“Because we’re competing with other companies in the globe, we need some form of incentives for a unit of this nature.

“Someone should come forward with a comprehensive proposal that makes it attractive to us and viable to invest in Nottingham, as we’ve received from other places.

“That’s what I’ve been asking for because we’re very keen to set up a factory in Nottingham.”

Purico's new factory in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named Bolta-US

Purico was founded in 1983 by Anil Puri’s uncle Nat Puri – one of Nottinghamshire’s most high-profile Indian businessmen and philanthropists.

It has automotive factories in Mexico and Germany, as well as others in Portsmouth, Exeter and Bolton.

Anil Puri said: “This new plant is a big milestone for the group. For a Nottingham company to set up a greenfield site in Alabama, so many miles away from home, is huge.

“Our ambition remains to have a plant in Nottingham as well, but it needs to be supported as it is in other countries with some grants and seed funding.

“That is combined with other issues. Our land values are very high in this country compared to other parts of the world and there isn’t the talent pool.

The company employs about 3,500 people globally and has a turnover of more than £400m across various parts of its business, which also include manufacturing bottles for weed killers and insecticide, as well as air filtration paper for coffee and tea. It also owns care homes, hotels and other properties, and has a steel structures arm.

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: "Since 2010 government has invested over £400 million across the sector and will invest hundreds more over the coming years."